Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Belo Horizonte

For one person, living is cheaper in Belo Horizonte: $971 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Belo Horizonte
Learn more

Belo Horizonte Living Index

Jump to prices

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Belo Horizonte

🇧🇷 Brazil

$971

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Belo Horizonte

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Belo Horizonte actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $971 in Belo Horizonte.

Lisbon $2,202
Belo Horizonte $971

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $1,574 in Belo Horizonte.

Lisbon $3,274
Belo Horizonte $1,574

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $2,177 in Belo Horizonte.

Lisbon $4,346
Belo Horizonte $2,177

Living in Lisbon is roughly 127% more expensive than in Belo Horizonte, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Belo Horizonte is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$6.03 R$30.57

182.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$37.56 R$190

65.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$8.68 R$43.99

26.96%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$2.30 R$11.65

35.65%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 €2.02

$1.42 R$7.20

59.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$0.76 R$3.85

128.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$2.16 R$10.96

58.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$3.59 R$18.18

4.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.01 R$5.11

15.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.79 R$9.06

3.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.02 R$10.25

-23.76%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$2.28 R$11.55

78.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$10.07 R$51.0

28.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$4.29 R$21.75

84.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$7.86 R$39.87

124.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.92 R$9.75

17.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.26 R$6.40

38.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$1.19 R$6.02

58.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$1.60 R$8.10

60.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.08 R$5.49

71.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$0.97 R$4.91

103.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$0.81 R$4.10

79.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$0.92 R$4.65

-16.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$2.55 R$12.95

163.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$7.84 R$39.75

-27.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.36 R$6.90

0.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$2.76 R$13.97

-23.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$1.22 R$6.21

90.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

$68.2 R$346

-34.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$1.02 R$5.19

287.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$0.76 R$3.85

38.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$6.43 R$32.60

166.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.26 R$6.40

73.81%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$33.8K €30.0K

$23.3K R$118.3K

44.81%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.3K €34.0K

$33.8K R$171.6K

13.05%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$164 €146

$78.8 R$400

107.85%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$18.48 €16.43

$10.20 R$51.7

81.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$21.16 R$107

55.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$28.93 R$147

58.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

$44.55 R$226

-58.07%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$7.72 R$39.15

26.30%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$684 €608

$463 R$2,348

47.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$13.6K R$69.1K

29.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$61.9 R$314

67.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$48.18 R$244

-4.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$99.1 R$502

0.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$72.8 R$369

71.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$569 R$2,882

179.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$286 R$1,449

309.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$912 R$4,621

212.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$593 R$3,008

235.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$2,312 R$11.7K

237.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$1,087 R$5,508

306.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$624 R$3,161

156.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

11.25

-65.78%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Belo Horizonte: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Belo Horizonte

$286 29.4% 75.6% $883

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Belo Horizonte

$198 20.4% 27.6% $75

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Belo Horizonte

$129 13.2% 48.1% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Belo Horizonte

$110 11.3% 48.8% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Belo Horizonte

$127 13.1% 24.7% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Belo Horizonte

$44 4.6% 32.1% $21

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Belo Horizonte

$78 8% 23.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $569 in Belo Horizonte. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 157% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $38.00 in Belo Horizonte for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $198 per month, with Belo Horizonte cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇧🇷 Belo Horizonte

🕒 Local time

11:50 11:50 AM

07:50 7:50 AM

4 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

2,315,560

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Belo Horizonte 7,460 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Belo Horizonte

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Belo Horizonte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Belo Horizonte differ by about 127% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $971 including rent). Belo Horizonte is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 157% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $569 in Belo Horizonte. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $684 in Lisbon versus $463 in Belo Horizonte. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $971 in Belo Horizonte versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Belo Horizonte but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Belo Horizonte the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Belo Horizonte are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Belo Horizonte gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.